Farewell My Friend
by Awesome Rapidash
Summary: They say that losing someone you love is one of the hardest things a person will have to go through. For Jack, it will evolve someone very close to him, someone he has spent a long time with. Someone he loved deeply. Please read and review.


_**This story is dedicated to my beloved cat Prince (April 12**__**th**__** 1996 to December 12**__**th**__** 2008). Your love and friendship will live forever in my heart. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Harvest Moon nor do I own the Rainbow Bridge poem._

_**A/N:**__ The words in italics are excerpts from the Rainbow Bridge poem. Kimi is a Himalayan cat. If you want to know what she looked like, you can look at the picture of Prince on my profile page. He was a Himalayan._

_**Farewell My Friend**_

"_Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge."_

Morning sunlight streamed through the window, filling the small bedroom with warmth. On the floor of that very bedroom a cat padded towards the bed and with a single jump, landed next to the still sleeping farmer.

"Meow."

Jack stirred slightly as the sounds of his furry alarm clock told him that it was time to wake up. He opened one eye and looked at the brown and cream colored feline sitting patiently nearby. He gave the feline a smile. "Are you hungry, Kimi?" He chuckled a little. "Of course you are."

The cat stepped carefully over to her owner and playfully swatted at him with her paw.

"Okay, okay I'm getting up!" the brown haired young man said as he sat up. "Just give me a minute."

Kimi jumped off the bed and walked over to the door. She sat there and waited for her owner to get out of bed and get ready for the day. After all, she was hungry at this time of day. It didn't take too long for Jack to get dressed, and he headed over to the door of his room and opened it.

Jack walked into the kitchen and over to the light brown wooden cabinet next to the refrigerator. He opened the door and reached inside. Kimi watched with interest as her owner rummaged around. He reemerged a moment later holding a can of cat food.

"Ocean white fish," he read on the can's label. "You like fish don't you, sweetie?"

The Himalayan looked up at her owner and tilted her head slightly, as if to say, "Yes, I like fish."

Jack opened the can and used a spoon to scoop out a portion of the food. He placed it into one of Kimi's food bowls and placed the bowl down on the floor. Kimi quickly moved over to the bowl and began to eat heartily. Jack smiled and gave his furry companion a gentle pat on the head before making his own breakfast.

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Jack first noticed that something was wrong when Kimi's breathing started to sound a little different. At first the farmer attributed it to her age. After all, she was almost 13 years old so he didn't worry too much as she still seemed to be fine.

But as the days passed something alarming grabbed the brown hared farmer's attention. An area of swelling on Kimi's left cheek. Worried he took his pet to see Barley, the owner of Yodel Ranch and local animal expert.

"What can I do for you today Jack?" the elder rancher questioned curiously.

"It's Kimi; I think there is something wrong with her," Jack answered in a concerned voice. "I noticed that she has some swelling on her left cheek and I was hoping that you could take a look at it."

Barley gave the farmer a nod. "Of course, please put her on the table so that I can have a better look at her," He directed pointing at a nearby cloth covered table.

Jack returned the nod and walked over to the table, gently placing Kimi down on the clothed surface. He stroked her fur gently, hoping to reassure her as Barley began to examine her.

He carefully lifted her lip and gently probed the swollen area. "Hm, it looks like she might have an infection," Barley explained. "I'm concerned by how cloudy her left eye is and I'm going to give you some ointment for that."

Jack nodded silently and watched as the rancher concluded his examination. He gave the elder man a concerned look. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Barley gave the brown haired farmer a cautious look. "Well, I'm concerned about the infection since it also seems to be affecting her eye as well. I'm going to give you an antibiotic and I want you to give it to her twice a day."

Jack nodded in understanding and took the small bottle of white colored medicine from the rancher.

"I want you to apply the ointment to her eye four times a day and come back in a week for me to check her out," the elder man instructed.

"Alright, I'll make sure I do that," Jack replied as he picked Kimi back up from the table and cradled her gently in his arms. "Thank you Barley," he added as he paid for the medication.

"You're welcome Jack," Barley replied as he took the money and placed it into his pocket. "Make sure you keep an eye on that swelling and her eye. If you think that it's getting worse, bring her back."

"Okay, I will," Jack answered. He thanked the rancher once more and left Yodel Ranch and headed back to his farm.

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Several days passed and Jack applied the ointment and gave the antibiotic just as Barley had instructed. He watched her carefully hoping for improvement.

The soft patter of rain on the roof of the house woke Jack and he sat up and looked around. He noticed Kimi was laying next to the bed, looking up at him. He gasped slightly when he noticed a small area of blood on her still swollen cheek.

Quickly he got out of bed and picked his feline companion up and looked at her cheek. Kimi gave him a meow as he examined her cheek. "This doesn't look good," he said in a worried voice. "I need to get you back to Barley."

Jack carried his pet out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where he gently set her down on the white tiled floor. He then went about the motions of preparing their morning meal. He watched as Kimi tried to eat, but it was pretty obvious to the farmer, that the swelling was causing her difficulties.

Jack waited patently while his feline companion struggled to eat. She finally turned and padded slowly over to her litter pan. Jack waited for her to finish before carefully picking her up and walking out of the farmhouse and heading towards Yodel Ranch.

It took Jack 20 minutes for him to reach his destination and as he walked through the gate he was met by Barley's granddaughter May.

"Hi, are you here to play with me?" she asked curiously. "Did you bring your cat to play as well?"

Jack gave the young brunette a smile. "Not today. Kimi isn't feeling well and I need to have your Grandpa take a look at her."

May nodded. "Your kitty is sick?" she asked curiously. "What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not too sure right now. I'm hoping that your Grandpa will be able to tell me," Jack answered.

"Aw, I'm sorry about your kitty," the young girl replied innocently. "I hope she feels better soon so you and her can come and play with me."

Jack gave the girl a small smile. "I hope so too May… I hope so too. Now do you know where your Grandpa is?"

"He's out in the barn," she answered. "Come on, I'll show you."

Jack nodded and followed the girl around to the large red structure and watched as she walked through the large doors and pointed. "Grampa Barley, Mister Jack is here with is kitty. He says she's sick and you can make her all better."

The elder rancher looked up from the sheep in front of him and gave the young girl a smile. "Thank you, May," he said. "You can go inside and get yourself a snack for being such a helpful girl."

A big smile filled May's face as she disappeared, heading towards the house in search of a yummy snack.

The smile on Barley's face was quickly replaced by one of concern. "Is something wrong?"

"I noticed that there was blood on Kimi's cheek this morning," the brown haired farmer began. "I don't think the swelling has gone down either. In fact, I think it's gotten worse."

"I see," Barley replied as he stood up and walked over to where the brown haired farmer stood. He took a quick look and shook his head. "Hm, I don't like how this looks."

"What do you mean?" Jack gasped. "Isn't she getting better?"

"I'm not sure," Barley answered. "I'm concerned about the swelling and how hard the area feels." He added as he gently probed Kimi's cheek. "Very concerned…"

Jack could feel tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. "What can we do about it?" he asked softly, his voice cracking slightly.

Barley sighed. "What I'm going to do is take a sample of the mass and send it to a lab in the city to be tested. That should tell us more about it."

Jack nodded. "How long will that take?"

"Not to long, a couple of days," Barley answered. "I will make sure to get it on the boat to the city tonight. In the meantime I'm going to give you another slightly stronger antibiotic to give her. I'm also going to give you some pain medication. You can give it to her if she seems to be in pain."

Jack accepted the bottles and paid the rancher. "Thank you Barley, for all that you've done for Kimi."

The rancher nodded. "Take care Jack, as soon as I know something I'll let you know."

Jack exited the ranch and headed back towards the farm. As he walked along the red brick path he gently scratched Kimi behind her ear. "We'll get you all healed up sweetie," he cooed softly, giving the feline a kiss on her head. Kimi looked up at her owner and purred softly.

Once back at the farm he opened the door and walked inside, heading over to the light brown couch and sitting down. Kimi gave a soft meow as the brown haired young man set her down on the soft fabric of the couch. She padded over to the far side of the couch and laid down, curling herself into a ball and placing her head on top of her paw.

Once again Jack could feel warm tears falling down his cheeks. A feeling of dread and helplessness washed over the farmer as he watched his feline friend sleep.

He sat silently in the house wondering what to do when the sound of someone knocking at the door broke the silence. The farmer got up and made his way over to the door and opened it. There, looking back at him with a concerned and worried expression, was his friend Elli.

"Jack, I heard from May that Kimi is sick, is that true?" she asked as she stepped into the farmhouse.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, she's got some kind of swelling on her cheek and Barley doesn't know what it is. He took a sample and was going to send it to a lab in the city to be tested."

The brown haired nurse nodded. "I'm here if you need me Jack, just so you know that."

"Thank you Elli, it helps me to know that."

Elli walked over to the couch where Kimi was still laying. The Himalayan picked her head up off her paw and looked up at Elli and gave a soft meow.

A gasp escaped the nurse's lips as she looked down at the feline's swollen cheek. "Oh my Goddess, I'm so sorry Kimi." She said, reaching out and softly petting the cat's long soft coat.

"Barley said it could take a couple of days for him to get the results of the tests. In the meantime he gave me some stronger antibiotics for her to take and a pain killer if she needs it."

Elli nodded. "She doesn't appear to be in pain at least."

"Yeah, that's true. Thank the Goddess for that, I don't think I could handle it if she was in pain."

"Well, I need to get to the clinic but I just wanted to stop by to make sure you were doing alright," the brown haired girl said before giving Kimi one last gentle pat on her head and standing up. "I'll stop by again after my shift to see you," she added.

"Thanks El, I'd really appreciate that," Jack said as he wrapped his arms around the petite nurse and gave her a warm hug.

"Of course Jack, what are friends for," she replied, returning the hug. "I'll see you later!"

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Two days passed and it was just after lunch when Barley walked through the gates of Rose Farm. He paused for a moment and looked down at the lab results in his hands and sighed. After another minute he continued on, making his way to the house and knocking on the door.

Jack opened the door and the smile on his face vanished when he saw that grim look on the ranchers face. "I take it you have bad news…"

Barley nodded slowly. "I'm sorry Jack, but the tests on the mass came back as cancerous."

Jack gasped. "Cancer, no… it can't be right!" He could feel tears welling in his eyes as the realization felt like a knife had been run through his heart.

"I'm so sorry Jack; I wish the news could have been better," Barley said compassionately.

"Can we do something? You know, like surgery or medications?" Jack asked, his voice filled with desperation.

Barley shook his head. "There is the option of surgery to remove the tumor, but in all likelihood the cancer has spread to her lungs and perhaps other vital organs," he explained. "The surgery would be extensive and would likely result in a portion of her cheek having to be removed."

Jack thought about what the rancher had just informed him. "How long…. How long do you think she has?"

Barley shook his head. "That's hard to say, a couple of months at best maybe," he answered. "I'm not trying to sway your decision, but to be perfectly honest with you, the surgery would be quite painful and if the cancer has spread, it won't save her life." He paused for a moment before looking Jack in the eyes. "You may want to consider euthanasia."

The farmer nodded. "Thank you for being honest with me. I really need some time to consider and think about things before I make a choice one way or the other."

"Of course, I understand completely," the elder man replied before stepping back from the door. "Just come by whenever you've made your choice," he added before turning and heading towards the gate.

Inside the farmhouse Jack walked into the bedroom and collapsed onto his bed and began to cry uncontrollably. It was Kimi's soft meowing at the side of the bed that helped him to finally regain control of his emotions. He rolled onto his side and then sat up, looking down at Kimi's ocean blue eyes gazing back up at him.

"Oh Kimi, I'm so sorry sweetie," he said as he reached down and picked his furry companion up and cuddled her against his chest. "Just know… that I will do the right thing for you. I won't let you suffer."

Kimi seemed to understand her owners words and rubbed her cheek gently against his, purring as she did so.

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Three more days passed and as much as Jack tried to deny the fact, Kimi was getting worse. He could feel his heart being torn apart as he watched her struggle to eat her food or to even walk. He knew what had to be done…

He waited until that evening to head over to Yodel Ranch, that way Elli could be there with him, to provide comfort afterwards.

Elli watched sadly as the clock in the clinic neared 3 PM, the time that her shift would end and she would head over to Jacks farm. From there, she would accompany him and Kimi to Yodel Ranch.

On Rose Farm, Jack went through his normal routine as best he could. Often he found himself having to stop as the thoughts of what was going to happen overwhelmed him and he began to cry.

Once the farm chores had been completed he washed up and went inside. There he found Kimi lying on the floor near her barely eaten food. Fresh tears began to fall from his eyes as he picked his furry friend up and cuddled her warmly against his chest.

"Soon you will be free of this," he whispered sadly. "I'm so sorry Kimi, sorry that I couldn't save you from this…"

The sound of someone knocking on the door brought Jack back to reality and he walked over and opened it.

"Are you sure you want to do this Jack?" Elli asked as she stepped inside. "I mean, what we are about to do is final, there is no going back later."

The brown haired farmer nodded slowly and gave Kimi a kiss on her head. "I have to do this El; I can't let Kimi suffer like this."

The nurse nodded. "I understand and I'm here for you."

"Thank you El," Jack said sadly. "Let's go, shall we? I don't want this to be pushed out anymore."

"Of course Jack," Elli added quietly as she held the door open.

To Jack, the walk to Yodel Ranch was the longest walk he had to make. As they walked he did his best to comfort and cuddle the soft bundle of fur in his arms.

They finally arrived at the ranch and were met by Barley, who walked them into the barn. Inside a table with a light blue blanket had been set up. The rancher gave Jack a compassionate look. "This is the ultimate act of love that a human can give to an animal."

Jack could feel the tears welling in his eyes and blurring his vision as he gently placed Kimi down on the soft cloth. She gave a soft meow as Jack wrapped his arms around her.

"It will be quick and painless," Barley explained. "I will give her the injection and her heart will slow and then stop. It will take less than 30 seconds."

Elli stepped over and placed her arm on Jack in support. She could feel the tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to remain as composed as possible. She knew that she needed to be there for Jack.

Jack didn't watch as Barley gave Kimi the injection. He just kissed his beloved cat's head when the elder rancher told him that she was gone. No longer able to suppress his emotions he wrapped his arms around the now still cat and cried uncontrollably.

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"_When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.__ There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable."_

Jack and Elli stood sadly in front of the small gravestone. Tears fell freely from the brown haired farmer as he read the words written across it.

Elli wrapped her arms around him and did her best to comfort her friend. She knew all too well what it was like to lose someone you loved dearly.

"She's with my Grandma in Heaven…" Elli whispered softly.

"But why do I feel so guilty about it El?" he asked sadly. "Why do I feel like I failed her somehow?"

"Don't talk like that Jack," Elli replied. "You did what you had to. You ended her pain and suffering."

"I know… But somehow, I feel like I should have noticed that something was wrong sooner," he sighed in reply.

"Kimi might have hid the truth from you because she didn't want you to worry about her," Elli suggested. "She didn't realize that hiding things would prevent you from helping her."

Jack sighed and wiped his eyes. "As much as I know what I did was for the best, it still hurts so badly."

"I know, but that's normal when you have to say good-by to someone you love," the brown haired girl replied compassionately. "What you are feeling is perfectly normal."

Jack nodded and turned to Elli, wrapping her in a warm hug. "Thank you for being here with me Elli. I don't think I could have done this without you."

Elli smiled and gave her friend a kiss. "I'll always be here for you Jack."

They remained at the grave for a short time longer before turning and starting back towards the farm.

"_You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart."_

As they turned and began to walk along the red bricked pathway Jack gave one last look at the marker. "Wait for me Kimi…" he said softly as he took Elli's hand.

_"Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...." _


End file.
